Motorbike-powered race cars in Australia 1950 - 1980

Motorbike powered race cars played a large part in Australian Motor Sport after WW2 not only in Road Racing but also Hill Climbs & Sprints.

Much is known about the Coopers that ran in their day but what is known of the others that competed during this period, John Medley covers quite a few in his Bathurst Book but there are many more that ran.

The elite of the Motorbike powered cars for me are the two cars ran by the late Jack Myers, but again this is only 2 cars of many, there was a open wheeler running at Oran Park in the 1970's with motorbike power that was still at the sharp end of the field.

Graham Howard, Terry Wright, and Garry Simkin produce the wonderful newsletter wonderfully called "Loose Fillings" for these cars
I saw Tod Hamilton's Ralt-Vincent 10 days ago for the first time since 1972, on which Castlereagh sprints occasion several of us drove several m/cycle-engined cars around and around. Apart from the caretaker referring to us loudly as "Automobile Hooligans" I recall how sophisticated Rob Phillips' Mk 5 Cooper felt in contrast to the specials I drove

I know it is not quite the same but the Aussie Racing Cars are bike powered, as was the Legends before them. I have seen some bike powered very modern Sports Cars recently too.The name escapes me ATM.
There is still several older [historic these days] bike powered open wheelers at hillclimbs.

Wonderful pics of The -Running-Jumping-And-Standing-Still-Show, gents!

Peter Macleay, who owned the ex Saywell Cooper JAP Mk 4 and the Cooper BMW at the same time long ago, reckoned the pushers did the running, the recalcitrant car did the jumping, and then they all stood around doing standing still. It is no longer the same now so many ageing drivers have run out of dopey friends and use conveyor belt/ roller starters

Still the home of earnest eccentrics...
John Mellen's Tammell was the Scarab: I bought it for one shilling one day and sold it back to the owner at the end of that day for one shilling

The Maxoan ( =Mac's Own) had bodywork of lithographic plates, print to the inside perhaps so Rod could read the Women's Weekly while hillclimbing. It probably still holds distance records for Tiny Little Sports Cars. When Frank Cuttell drove it at an Historic Amaroo, he clutch-started it down the entry slope and as it scuttled through the marshalling grid my then small children shrieked in unison "It looks like a dung beetle!!"

Love the front mounting point for the trailing arm on the Lawson Ballantyne car!

Remind me to tell you the one about Roy Gilbert and the circus monkeys

What was the 350 DKW, Greg Mackie?

The Mike Cotton car was, I think, the Cooper BMW

But some of these were very serious pieces of equipment at the time

Just received my latest "Loose Fillings"-- another work of eccentric art

John, the 'Deek' [that's what I called it] was even smaller than the 'Voodoo', as I transported it in my 6' X 4' box trailer. I built it close to kart specs., and used a 350 DKW two-stroke twin for power, via a chain to the solid rear axle. To keep the scrutineers sort of happy, as 4 wheel brakes were compulsory, I used Sturmey Archer push-bike brakes on the front - operated by cables. The rear brake was a disc on the rear axle.

Later on I replaced the DKW engine [not a lot of power], with a 500 Triumph Tiger 100 donk [about 30 hp, and enough to scare the daylights out of me].

Jim Robson bought the Deek [for not much] for Mark to 'play with' at Silverdale..........after I put the DKW engine back in! No idea where it is - Jim may know?

Best result was FTD ar Amaroo, on 25th June, 1967. [25.45].

Edit: Just realised that the 'Deek' enabled me to snag one of my most prized 'goodies'..........a Silverdale 'Under 40' badge!

Some Speedway midgets had bike engines, at least one did anyway cause I remember as a kid helping to pushstart it! (and I clearly remember Norton on the cases and John Walker was the driver).

What about Ronnie Ward.......his 'hybrid' twins were something else! From memory, he'd use a Harley crank-case, Norton heads, and various other odd-and-ends, to produce an engine capable of beating the top cars. Was it Johnny Stewart who drove that little car so well? Or Bruce Peters? C'mon you Speedway lot, help me!

I remember a Motorbike powered car running at Oran Park in the 1960 driven by a guy with the surname of Tracey, do not know if he is a relative of mine or not but if anyone knows about the car & driver I would appriciate the information.

The names that have been submitted of past drivers & cars is mindblowing let alone the photos, keep them comming.

The Berkeley 105, with the Royal Enfield 700 engine, was a sports car, but at least two of them,that I remember, were raced in Australia, in the early '60s. A chap by the name of Wilson, and Paul Samuels [the Berkeley importer]. Paul had a 'monumental' roll-over at W. Farm in his.

The Berkeley 105, with the Royal Enfield 700 engine, was a sports car, but at least two of them,that I remember, were raced in Australia, in the early '60s. A chap by the name of Wilson, and Paul Samuels [the Berkeley importer]. Paul had a 'monumental' roll-over at W. Farm in his.

A friend of mine John Lewin was racing his MGA TC in that race & was the first car on the scene, stopped & helped Paul until Officals arrived, he worked at Wollongong Hospital so had a idear of what was required in an emeergancy.

If I remember correctly was it not on the Western Crossing & the car was Pauls second Berkeley.

Originally posted by plannerpower.....Rod McCallum was a great bloke; a Peugeot enthusiast.

He showed me and our mutual friend the "easy" way to mate a grey Holden motor to a Peugeot gearbox.

And he was ready to show me!

I carried his name and phone number in my wallet for a multitude of years in case I ever got around to needing to do this. He had a 203 with a grey Holden engine in it, I went to see him once but never went any further with that 'dream'... I think the plan was to use this mix in a Simca body for a Sports Sedan or something like that.

I must be getting on now, I can't remember what all my schemes and plans were all about!

I was uncertain of the spelling of "Ballantyne"; I like to get things correct so I googled for Lawson Ballantine/Ballantyne and got both variants.

I decided to adopt the CAMS version ("Ballantine"); I have edited my post to substitute the "y" that you both used.

A lovely bloke, as was Betty; well, Bett wasn't a bloke but you know what I mean.

I'm delighted to hear that he is still with us.

John; Rod McCallum was a great bloke; a Peugeot enthusiast.

He showed me and our mutual friend the "easy" way to mate a grey Holden motor to a Peugeot gearbox.

Hi Kerry I corresponded with John of that family earlier this year and the promo calendar he sent me has "John Ballantyne Manufacturing Services" printed on it. I will make no comment on your trusting CAMS' spelling Regards JM

On a parallel tack, in his A-Z of Formula Racing Cars David Hodges listed several Australian 500cc F3 cars, including:

Alan Eyre’s AHER Barnard’s Ariel Special. I assume from the name that it was Ariel powered.Jack Godbehear’s BSA powered Clubman 500 driven by Bert FloodThe Cudmore with a frame utilising parts of a Model T chassis powered by a DKW-like engine ‘liberated’ from JapanDavid Stephenson’s front-engined front wheel drive BSA powered DWSBrian Chatterton and Clem Warburton of Brisbane's Douglas-powered car appropriately named the 500Jack and William Hooper’s pushrod Triumph powered Hooper that later became the Norton Special following an engine change, and was later sold to Austin TauranacThe Manx Norton powered Lincoln built by a “Mr Douglas”Jack Walkem’s Manx SpecialJ Marshall’ Triumph and later JAP-powered MarshallLes Penna’s Norton Dominator Special with a frame based on Model T chassis railsRALTThe car started by Norman Rook and taken over by A F Reeves to become the Reeves-RudgeKeith Rowes’s Rowe which could run in 500cc Formula 3 or as a 2-seater roadsterTedd Huggins’s front-engined Rudge SpecialBob Burnett-Reid’s BSA-poered Sprog D Type (guess why I included this one)E Millier’s Tiger SpecialBruce Walton’s JAP-powered WaltonMorrie Wheeler and Jack Gow’s front-engined, disc-braked, Matchless-powered WGM Special

Hi D-Type, the Jack Godbehear car was the JGS - Jack Godbehear Special. My late brother used to compete against it in Victorian hillclimbs in the late 60's when it was owned by Ian Speight who by the way still competes in hillclimbs in a 3ltr Capri. At the time it was painted dark blue with white wire wheels. To my teenage eyes it looked archaic but it was conducted very rapidly and it was often faster than my brother Greg's Cann BSA

I well remember my brother competing at the Camperdown hillclimb and we stayed with farmer Judd (Ian) who was later to win the AHCC in a Cheetah Oldsmobile, oustide of town. Too young to drive I was consigned to passenger seat in my brothers Wolseley 6/110 and with Ian Speight following in his Wolseley 6/90 and into camperdown for a counter meal we went. On the long straight into town the 6/90 proved marginally faster than the 6/110 much to my brothers dismay. After a long dinner, home in the dark we went. At about 90 mph on the long straight Greg decided that he didn't like Ian drafting him so he turned off his lights and we continued, lucky it was moonlit night! There were two 90 degree bends just prior the Judd's farm and a braking duel developed and 6/110 discs won. Stopping to open the gates into the farm I could see the front drums on the 6/90 glowing cherry red. Lucky grog did not affect them! The next morning Ian wondered why the brakes on the 6/90 were not working so well. I remember this like yesterday but can't remember who was faster in the hilclimb.

The Cann BSA is another to add to the list. I understand it went to NSW in the early 70's and was re-engined and known as the Cann Honda. Where is it now?

I believe the JGS is still in Vic but unable to be pried from the hands of its long time owner.

Owen Tracey ran the Nota AJS which had been Ross "Splinta" Pentecost's, a light if tall beast

The Godbehear car I saw at Silverdale long ago when driven by an ex motorcyclist whose name currently escapes me -- Ray Owen perhaps? Memorable indeed were the two "shoes" vertically above the pedals so his big feet could use pedals w/o fouling the roof of the nosecone

Latest " Loose Fillings" ( gjsimkin@iprimus.com.au dont miss out!) has lovely article by Norman Mortlock about his MB 500 which had a similar problem to the Godbehear so to prevent his feet fouling the underside of the nosecone he cut off the top of the brake pedal. He was impressed when Alec Mildren complimented him on "Not lifting the foot through (Mt Druitt's) Castle Curve" but found much later when he went back down Silverdale Hill that the little car HAD NO BRAKES AT ALL. He said he didnt admit to Alec Mildren that in fact he was leaning very heavily indeed on that short brake pedal through Castle Curve

Kerry, Thanks for the S/C Vincent speedway video. Wangaratta Historic Speedway perhaps 3 years ago there were 4 outfits, all Vincents one supercharged(perhaps that one shown in the video). Though the video doesnt quite capture the wonderful flat blat of the s/c Vincent, the noise(and the smell) of those four that night was brilliant

We appear to have few/ no Victorians here on TNF... but can any recall Bill Balle's "Ball of Fire" which I recall seeing race very effectively at Winton in the early 1970s?

Originally posted by Shane Bowden.....I well remember my brother competing at the Camperdown hillclimb and we stayed with farmer Judd (Ian) who was later to win the AHCC in a Cheetah Oldsmobile, oustide of town. Too young to drive I was consigned to passenger seat in my brothers Wolseley 6/110 and with Ian Speight following in his Wolseley 6/90 and into camperdown for a counter meal we went. On the long straight into town the 6/90 proved marginally faster than the 6/110 much to my brothers dismay. After a long dinner, home in the dark we went. At about 90 mph on the long straight Greg decided that he didn't like Ian drafting him so he turned off his lights and we continued, lucky it was moonlit night! There were two 90 degree bends just prior the Judd's farm and a braking duel developed and 6/110 discs won. Stopping to open the gates into the farm I could see the front drums on the 6/90 glowing cherry red. Lucky grog did not affect them! The next morning Ian wondered why the brakes on the 6/90 were not working so well. I remember this like yesterday but can't remember who was faster in the hillclimb.....

A likely story!

Unless, of course, the 6/90 had overdrive and the 6/110 was automatic. In which case, shame on your brother for sinking so low.

As for plannerpower's love of these cars, I can tell you from personal experience that this love will wear thin in the case of the latter models. They were faster and stopped better, probably handled better, but required a new front end every 9,000 miles!

Unless, of course, the 6/90 had overdrive and the 6/110 was automatic. In which case, shame on your brother for sinking so low.

As for plannerpower's love of these cars, I can tell you from personal experience that this love will wear thin in the case of the latter models. They were faster and stopped better, probably handled better, but required a new front end every 9,000 miles!

Was it the Cann VW that Ian Wells hillclimbed? Was this the former Vincent -powered car?
If so, a Cann VW story: I still own the trailer that car then used. Hard-driven and chased through Southern Queensland by a hard-driven Peugeot the Cann VW towcar with Cann VW on trailer heading to some Queensland hillclimb was finally caught by the perspiring Peugeot driver who then shouted out " I have been trying to tell you you lost your trailer back door 20 miles back"

[quote name='john medley' date='Oct 6 2011, 23:36' post='5321557']
Was it the Cann VW that Ian Wells hillclimbed? Was this the former Vincent -powered car?

The Cann VW was indeed the updated Cann Vincent that was subsequently owned by Ian Wells. I thought the car was then sold to NSW and always wondered if this then morphed into the Wortmeyer SCV which appeared about this time? Ray Cann lived in the same suburb as we did (Reservoir) and my brother often took me to Ray's house & business - the "Ray Cann Carrying Company". Ray's fleet of vehicles comprised VW Kombis in varying states of decrepitness which provided a ready source of engines for the Cann VW. Ray was instrumental in urging my brother to purchase the Cann BSA from Kurt Seeburg and get into motor sport. Kurt was rechristened by us after he subsequently crashed his Brabham Bt36 at Hume Weir as Kurt Treeburg.

I do recall Bill Balle's car, not as a 500 but Vincent powered. At Phillip Island 1971 my brother had progressed to 1100 F3 with a Datsun powered Lotus 20b and was comprehensivley blown away by Bill who if I recall correctly qualified on the front row in what was a supposedly out dated air cooled device! A very impressive performance. Bill ran a windscreen business in Lillydale and in the mid 70's the car was mounted on the office wall. Where is it now?

Speaking of Vincent powered cars I recall going to Warrandyte to get gears for Greg's Hewland gearbox from Peter Holinger when he worked from home. This was when he was fitting the Repco to to the hillclimb car and the Vincent was on the bench. I admired the Vincent and was promptly advised that there was not much Vincent left other than the cases and the rest was Holinger!

Great pics, DanTra2858. You should send these to "Loose Fillings": see Garry Simkin's address previously noted.

The DPR Triumph was built by Geoff Davidson, Bruce Powell and Charlie Rofe --- hence DPR --- farmers all from various rural locations. If we note the right rear Lukey alloy wheel of the DPR in the pic of "Bruce Powell's Special pits Huntley 1960" there were TWO cars. What was the wonderfully gormless # 45 ( never knew about this one)?

Robinson should be Robertson Indian ..turned up at a GEAR Club meting only a few years ago

The Cann VW was indeed the updated Cann Vincent that was subsequently owned by Ian Wells. I thought the car was then sold to NSW and always wondered if this then morphed into the Wortmeyer SCV which appeared about this time?

If VWs can be included, what of the wonderfully named Lobo Jones, still in Dale Riddiford's ownership up on Mt Panorama?

I have no doubt that the "Loose Fillings" team of Graham Howard, Garry Simkin, and Terry Wright can improve on what I might post here, partly because they Own/Owned lots of these beasties( Terry the Walton JAP, Walton Cooper, and a speedway Skirrow, Garry the John Snow-imported Cooper Vincent as well as the JBS which was his first car road-registered and driven on the road in NZ, and Grime too)...

Perhaps the JCW mentioned by Greg Mackie is the Waye 500 Andrew Halliday has for sale (Andrew also has the Brabham midget), the Kieft-like Walkem Vincent is also for sale, and maybe also Todd Hamilton's ex Noel Hall Ralt which he displayed 2 weeks ago at Wakefield Park. The Hooper Brothers BMW became Hank Northey's / driven by Hank himself and Garry Cossor/later in Chris Hill's possession and most recently involved in some ownership squabble. I last heard of the Stephenson DWS running at Bright long ago -- or was that the Marshall? Barnard's Ariel 500 is said to be a later version of/ was the MB500 ( but to my eye looked a different car). The George Best Mk 4 Cooper ran at Wakefield Park 2 weeks ago driven by John Gale, as did the Robbins 500 of John Coffin( who is in regular contact with prewar GN enthusiast Ted Hider Smith -- what about Prewar m/bike engines in cars? What about 3 wheeler Morgans likewise?)

While the Tammell has been mentioned, its near-relative the Alba (still I believe in the hands of Alan Morton ) has not. Does that account for the Selby brothers cars?

And the car that immaculate Maurie Pearson so immaculately over-restored that CAMS wouldnt give him a logbook? I recall Robert Rowe/I/ Frank Cuttell found it in a paddock at Lidcombe, and Frank took it home on the roof of the Scotland Island-Elvina Bay ferry but only after he had decided to call it either Slurrosis or AGNE( reminiscent of Bruce Powell's #45 above)

For a long time I have believed that those who run m/cycle engines in cars belong to the same excessively optimistic fraternity, always ready to expect the unexpected, as GN/ early Frazer Nash drivers described in terms like " for a GN driver, EVERY run is a test run"( from David Thirlby, perhaps)

[quote name='plannerpower' date='Oct 7 2011, 11:49' post='5321791']The Cann VW was indeed the updated Cann Vincent that was subsequently owned by Ian Wells. I thought the car was then sold to NSW and always wondered if this then morphed into the Wortmeyer SCV which appeared about this time?

This is an early iteration of the SCV;

I don't think that it had any relationship to the Cann Vincent/VW;

All the SCV cars were built by Jack Wortmeyer, with design HELP from Spike Jones, Ken Davies & Erol Richardson, Spike is driving the gold painted chassie car in it's early form.

A few Tasmanian motorcycle-engined cars. The Walkem was built by Jock Walkem in Launceston about 1954-55 with Manx Norton engine and later re-engined with Vincent twin but this photo at Penguin Hillclimb circa 1956 puzzles me a bit because it appears to show neither.

Uploaded with ImageShack.usNext one with Vincent, also at Penguin but a year or two later.

Uploaded with ImageShack.usA.Harvey, 5 Day Special, Baskerville 1959. I think this car and at least 2 other air-cooleds were built specifically for the 1959 Australian Hillclimb Championship at Hobart's Domain, which was twinned with a Baskervelle meeting next day.